IN THE end two incidents either side of half-time which could have influenced the outcome of this match were consigned to memory as Westbury United overcame a resolute Radstock Town side to leapfrog them and go top of Division One.
Goals from Ricky Hulbert and Jamie Jordan were enough to put the Greens level at the top of the fledgling league table alongside Chippenham Park but ahead on goal difference going into the derby with struggling Corsham Town on Tuesday night.
However, it could have been all over bar the shouting if Dan Kovacs’ appeal for a penalty had gone his way instead of a free-kick and a caution for an alleged dive and his open goal miss just after the break had gone in instead of hitting the side netting.
Radstock arrived having won both openers and scored eight goals in the process but holidays and unavailability had robbed them of key players as they looked to settle on Westbury’s immaculate looking surface. The teams cancelled each other out in what was a quiet start until Simon Millard’s free-kick came to nothing for the Miners and his half volley from a corner was touched over by home keeper Lewis Porter. It was all Radstock until Kovacs was given too much room on the left and as he went down under a challenge, referee Declan Brown was no more than five yards away and ruled against the former Melksham Town man, with a free-kick and a caution.
Radstock’s let off lasted two minutes as they were found square again and Hulbert was through to lob Glen Murley from 25 yards to give Westbury the lead on 17 minutes. Town responded well and Luke Ingram’s cross was deflected towards Matt Minnis but it glanced off his head rather than testing Porter and Westbury escaped. By then the game had picked up pace and Kovacs had a snap shot saved while Danny Lock’s cross was just missed by James Rustell and Minnis around the half hour.
Town were showing no signs of tailing off and Rustell had a flying header then Jack Biddecombe was wide with a 25 yarder before the break which came with the home side a goal to the good.
Kovacs should have doubled the score just after the break when a back pass to Murley bounced up and he was robbed but with the goal gaping Kovacs hit the side netting and the golden chance was gone. Radstock sensed they were still in the game and upped the ante and briefly tempers flared but player-joint manager Joe Kirkpatrick’s free-kick was not cleared and Matt Jones saw his volley blocked.
Both sides made changes just past the hour mark with Kovacs giving way to Mark Robinson and Millard replaced by Matt Mead but injuries began to disrupt the play and with a succession of free-kicks Jordan was a touch lucky to escape a booking for two clear trips but he was involved when Westbury broke quickly and Hulbert lobbed over with ten minutes left.
Radstock threw everything forward and Minnis had an overhead kick go wide before he was in on goal to tuck the ball home with two minutes gone but the linesman’s flag was up for offside and Westbury escaped. Deep into injury time Jordan gathered the ball with Radstock’s defence struggling and his shot was deflected past Murley by the hapless Tom Stocks and rolled home to clinch the three points and top spot in Division One.
Report by Kerry Miller
